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Steel Talons
“The Steel Talons may now be lost to history, but in their prime, they were but steps away from condemning Nod to that same dusty fate.” -Kane’s words to LEGION about the faction The Steel Talons are an experimental combat division of GDI known for using untested, highly experimental weapons that provide overwhelming force and firepower. Formed by Joshua Mitchell after the Firestorm Crisis, his belief of having a highly advanced army with which to crush Nod in any circumstance formed the faction’s military doctrine. Thanks to Mitchell’s influence, the faction became a test bed for state-of-the-art military weapons, much of which GDI adapted into their own arsenals by the time of the Third Tiberium War. They are noted for their continued use of mechanized walkers such as Titans and Wolverines, both being redesigned from the Second Tiberium War. It should be noted that ”Steel Talons” was not the official designation of the group, rather, the name given to them by Mitchell’s admirers in the media, notably the famed war hero Nick Parker. Because of their unique role, they are somewhat autonomous from the rest of GDI’s military. History With Nod's defeat and splintering, GDI believed that the organization was no longer a major concern. With the damage done to the environment, the GDI switched its strategy to fighting Tiberium instead. Many resources were refocused towards Tiberium abatement, as was most of the research and development funding. As a result, the military's focus on technological innovations (which began since the First Tiberium War) had ended. Several officers objected to this trend, the most vocal being General Joshua Mitchell. Mitchell's arguments finally convinced GDI (after a reportedly "volatile" meeting) to provide funding towards an elite experimental combat division. While the trend of moving towards reliable, cheaper technology meant the Steel Talons were not equipped with harmonic renosance weaponry, the Division sought to combine the latest mass-production armaments with cutting-edge weapon platforms (such as mechanized walkers) and tactics. Perhaps to symbolize their aspiration to continue the TWII-era GDI's innovative efforts, their insignia looks like a mirror image of the GDI insignia during the Second Tiberium War. Following their formation, the Steel Talons gained a reputation for its secrecy, aggressiveness, and effectiveness. In the skirmishes in the interbellum of the Firestorm Crisis and the Third Tiberium War, the unit would rise to prominence. In 2034, a GDI research facility in Australia storing captured Nod stealth technology, under the protection of Steel Talons, was attacked by a Nod strike team led by the AI LEGION. The Steel Talons attempted to repel the Nod invaders, and as a last resort, even attempted to destroy the research facility to prevent Nod from recovering the data. However, LEGION's forces managed to defend the lab until the upload completes, and quickly retreated before Steel Talons reinforcements could arrive in time. The Steel Talons also maintains several Pulse scanners near Black Hand leader Marcion’s base in Australia, whose forces have found a way of circumventing them. During the Persuasion of Marcion, the Steel Talons, alerted to the presence of LEGION's strike team by the Pulse scanners, interfered in the battle between Marcion's and LEGION's forces, but were quickly defeated. After Marcion and the Black Hand rejoined Nod, LEGION faced the Steel Talons once again when he was ordered to destroy GDI's top secret Institute for Liquid Tiberium. The Steel Talons defending the research facility proved no match for the Black Hand forces led by LEGION, and the Liquid Tiberium facility was destroyed, causing a catastrophic explosion that turned Central Australia into a Red Zone. What happened to the Steel Talons after 2034 is unknown. Though based on the fact that neither they nor their walkers were seen during the Third Tiberium War, as well as Kane's remark that they were "lost to history", it can be assumed that they faded into obscurity after the string of humiliating defeats they suffered. Though they apparently still existed as an organization, as Steel Talons walkers were seen guarding the Rocky Mountains Complex in 2052. Gameplay What they have is one thing that any CnC fan can appreciate: a throwback to the GDI’s Second Tiberium War arsenal. The Steel Talons use Wolverines and Titans from the Second Tiberium War, as well as the new Behemoth artillery walkers, making them a fearsome defensive force. Infantry-wise, Steel Talons have it rough. Their engineers are actually armed, but this comes at a heavy cost: The loss of 50% of GDI’s infantry power. This is essentially the reason as to why Steel Talons are scarce in the tournament setting, as they rely on their vehicles to get the job done. With no plan in the early game aside from gathering funds, Steel Talons is one of the trickier factions to play as. In addition, their Heavy Harvesters are slower than their brethren’s counterparts, meaning that ample funding is going to take a while to acquire. Trivia * In Kane’s Challenge, Steel Talons’ Hammerheads are painfully slow when they travel in large groups, which allow anti-air turrets to shred them. Supposedly, Hammerheads are fast-response aircraft similar to Venoms but cannot respond to air threats. In that case, making them so slow seems pointless. Inventory Infantry * Rifleman Squad * Missile Squad * Grenadier Squad * Combat Engineer CNCTW Rifleman Squad Cameo.png|Rifleman Squad CNCTW Missile Squad Cameo.png|Missile Squad CNCKW Combat Engineer Cameo.png|Combat Engineer CNCTW Grenadier Cameo.png|Grenadier Squad Vehicles * Pitbull * Titan Mk.II * Wolverine Mk.II * Heavy Harvester * Steel Talons MCV * Slingshot * Surveyor * Rig * Repair APC * Behemoth * Mammoth Tank * MARV CNCTW GDI MCV Cameo.png|Mobile Construction Vehicle CNCTW Surveyor Cameo.png|Surveyor CNCKW Heavy Harvester Cameo.png|Heavy Harvester CNCTW Rig Cameo.png|Rig CNCTW Pitbull Cameo.png|Pitbull CNCKW MRT Cameo.png|Mobile Repair Transport CNCKW Slingshot Cameo.png|Slingshot CNCKW Wolverine Cameo.png|Wolverine MK.II CNCKW Titan Cameo.png|Titan MK.II CNCKW Behemoth Cameo.png|Behemoth CNCTW Mammoth Tank Cameo.png|Mammoth Tank CNCKW MARV Cameo.png|Mammoth Armored Reclamation Vehicle Aircraft * Hammerhead * Firehawk * Orca * Orca Strike Craft * V-35 Ox * Supersonic Fighter CNCKW Hammerhead Cameo.png|Hammerhead TW Orca Strike Craft Cameo.png|Orca Strike Craft CNCTW Orca Gunship Cameo.png|A-15 Orca Gunship CNCTW Firehawk Cameo.png|Firehawk VTOL attack jet KW Supersonic Fighter Cameo.png|Supersonic Fighter CNCTW V35 OX Cameo.png|V-35 Ox Transport Category:Global Defense Initiative Category:Factions Category:Command & Conquer